Construction permitting delays endanger the city’s recovery, but a new initiative could offer solutions
Four councilmembers are proposing sweeping reforms of city’s Building and Safety Bureau in hopes of ending crippling permit delays.
Contractors are staffing Long Beach migrant center, but feds won’t detail their work
The lack of transparency over contractor operations at the migrant center concerned Rep. Alan Lowenthal, who has twice visited the facility.
Long Beach using AI software to monitor how residents feel about COVID-19 policies
The software collects social media reaction to things like mask mandates, compliance with reopening rules and vaccination efforts, a city official said.
City official admits building permit delays are failing customers
One local contractor said he won’t do business in Long Beach anymore because it takes too long to secure permits for basic projects.
City pays $700K to settle lawsuit alleging racial discrimination by Civil Service director
The lawsuit alleged the director told a Black employee she “should focus on being more ‘white’” if she wanted to be promoted.
City Council to vote on funding for new Homeless Court pilot program
The goal behind Homeless Court is to get the City Prosecutor’s office, the City Attorney’s office, service providers and homeless people with pending criminal convictions to work together to ensure that warrants, tickets and other past misdemeanors don’t prevent homeless people from accessing services they need.
The One Percent: How will Measure B help Long Beach’s art community?
Proponents say that passage of the measure will make about $1.5 million available to local arts organizations.